I'd like to hear from you about where we go over the next 4 years or so, and what we do with the next yearly budget.
By way of background, the Shire and its Council are obligated by State Government to produce a 4-year 'Council Plan' which needs to include a 'Health & Wellbeing Plan' - so our new group of Councillors need to give this a high priority over the coming 9 months. Community consultation is baked in with a series of Council pop-ups at various locations and events around the Shire over December and January, and following that a representative panel of 40 stakeholders (ratepayers) put together to review all the data gathered and form a list of recommendations for Council to consider. Your Councillors will then decide what to run with, and the final 4-year Council Plan should be formally approved and adopted by October 2025.
In line with this and for a shorter time-span, the next budget (for July 2025 to June 2026) has to be formulated, put out to the public for review and comment, and adopted by June 2025. Work is already beginning on the budget, so now is the time for you to chip in with what you think needs to change, what should remain, and maybe what should be added in - bearing in mind that costs to the Shire have increased just the same as they have for everyone yet the income from rates is set below that level by State Government (this is the 'rate-capping').
It's going to be a difficult budget... What do you think we can cut or reduce in order to continue other items? I'd love to hear from you.
There's currently an "Our Focus Our Future" online survey open to anyone who lives, works, operates or plays in Surf Coast Shire. I strongly recommend that you take 15 minutes out of your next 4 years to advise your directions, opinions, thoughts, suggestions. The Council Plan is genuinely a guiding document for Council in its decision making, a road-map for what to support and what not to support, because it represents community desires and aspirations. Your feedback is how we find out such things!